Immunoelectrophoresis versus Electropho- Resis in Study of Dysgammaglobolinemia

The total 476 sera were examined by a routine electrophoresis and further by the use of immunoelectrophoresis. 1) Among the 42 broad banded hypergammaglobulinemics, neither M-components nor a lack of a.ny class of immunoglobulin was detected. 2 ) Out of the 23 hypogammaglobulinemics, 3 cases of dysgammaglobulinemia were found only after the immunoelectrophoresis. 3 ) All of the 51 cases with a spike on the electrophoresis was proved to be a monoclonal gammopathy due to M-IgG in 36, M-IgA in 10, M-IgM in 3, and Bence-Jones type in 2 cases. 4) Out of the 360 cases without any detectable abnormality of electrophoretic globulin fractions, one case with recurrent infections was found to lack IgA in the serum by the use of immunoelectrophoresis. From these data, "merits and demerits" of the two methods, i.e., routine electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis were discussed. Some of the interesting cases were presented and compared with reports by others.